The blue brand finally realizes tag teams need character
Look, I get it. WWE loves these thrown-together tag teams. They treat the women’s division tag scene like a frantic potluck dinner where everyone just grabs whatever leftovers are in the fridge and puts them on a plate. Giulia and Kiana James were the latest result of that lazy culinary experimentation. When they linked up, it felt like the writers were just checking a box because they ran out of singles feuds for the blue brand.
Splitting them up on this week's SmackDown isn’t just a correction of a mistake; it is a mercy killing. Giulia is a star with a resume that puts most of the roster to shame, and Kiana James has that smug, corporate heel vibe that works best when she’s standing alone on a pedestal. Watching them try to find chemistry was like watching someone try to mix oil and water while the crowd chanted for a popcorn break. Sometimes the best booking decision you can make is admitting a plan failed and moving on before the apathy index hits critical mass.
We already saw this story play out before when management tried to force chemistry into teams like the early iteration of the Kabuki Warriors, or god forbid, whatever they were doing with various NXT call-ups tossed into the blender. You cannot just mash two people together and expect greatness. You need a narrative thread, something beyond just being on the same payroll. The split was necessary, but the fact that it took this long highlights the stagnant nature of the mid-card.
Chad Gable is back and the misery index just spiked
If you thought Kiana James was insufferable, wait until you see where Chad Gable goes from here. Seeing him pop up on SmackDown again is like finding out your HOA president bought a megaphone. He carries that specific brand of smug, technical proficiency that makes you want to throw your beer at the screen. You love to hate him, especially when he starts teaching classes on how to properly execute a German suplex. The man is a master of the mat, but his personality is essentially a Wikipedia entry for 'annoying gym teacher with a God complex.'
His return is exactly what the blue brand needed to wake up from its current vegetative state. Everyone was getting a bit too comfortable. When the Triple H reality check happens, as recent reports suggest, talent usually has to adjust quickly. Gable doesn't need to adjust; he just needs to be his own version of a thorn in everyone’s side. He is the guy who will talk for ten minutes about why his ankle lock is superior to your favorite wrestler’s entire moveset, and I am here for every second of that.
There is a real risk here, though. If they slot him into a meaningless feud where he just jobs out in 5 minutes every week, they waste one of the best character workers alive. We have seen him carry segments on his back before, turning trash into gold with nothing but a microphone and a pair of wrestling shorts. His return needs to result in a legit push toward the United States or Intercontinental title, not just being the guy who makes the babyface look good for a month before disappearing into catering oblivion.
Booking is about risks and taking the L
Let’s call a spade a spade: the Giulia and Kiana experiment was a swing and a miss. It happens. Not every combination of talent results in a dynamite pairing like the golden era of tag team wrestling or even what we currently see in companies abroad where the tag division is respected. The real failure wasn't the split, it was the three months of television time wasted on a team that had the collective charisma of a wet paper towel during their entrance sequences.
We need more of the Chad Gable approach. He is distinct. You know exactly what you are getting with him, and he owns his role with total conviction. When the product feels like it is drifting through the mid-card ether, as discussed recently when news broke about title matches shifting to Fridays, characters like Gable are the anchor. He doesn't need a partner to be interesting, and that is a lesson the creative team needs to apply to more of the roster.
The return of Gable confirms one thing: the front office knows when they are losing the room. They brought back the guy who can cut a promo that makes you actually want to see him get his head kicked in. It is a classic move, the sort of pivot that keeps the show from going completely flat. Hopefully, the end of the Giulia and Kiana partnership signals that they are done forcing square pegs into round holes. Give the audience actual stories, give the performers distinct identities, and stop pretending that every person on the roster needs a tag partner to be relevant.
If the plan is to keep the momentum rolling toward the summer, we need more of this decisive action. Don’t spend months pacing around the same tired feuds. Cut the dead weight, bring back the guys who know how to work an audience, and let the wrestlers who shouldn't be tagged up go solo. SmackDown has the talent to be the A-show; they just need to stop playing around with the lineup and get serious about the main event picture for once.
